What Flavor of Christian is best?

EV FREE vs. all the rest

It is estimated that there could be up to 3,000 identifiably different forms of Christianity in the world, known as denominations. Some of the more recognizable names are ones like Catholic, Lutheran, 4 squares, Pentecostal, 7th day Adventist, Methodist, and Evangelical…. This fact that so many variations exist as well as the disagreement and occasional infighting between these different sects can be frustrating for the believer and can cast some serious doubt that any of them are worthy of considering, for the non-believer. But what do we as Christians, or as one considering what church to go to do with this situation?

Well to begin with, I am one who is interested in the truth above all other things in religion. I am also not interested in wasting time or energy on things that are put foreword as religiosity, yet have no foundation in scripture. So there are some very simple questions that can be asked of any form of Christianity which could lead us to make some very wise distinctions between denominations, while preserving the core principals that matter. 1. Who is Jesus? 2. What must one do go to heaven. 3. Is the bible held up as the complete word of God? 4. Does the denomination add any books or writing to the bible? 5. What does your gut tell you?

So we begin with the big question; who is Jesus? According to scripture, Jesus is the only son of the creator of the universe. He was bourn of a virgin and possessed both humanity and Godliness in the same being. He was without sin and sacrificed himself on the cross to atone for the sins of others. He died, was buried and rose again after 3 days just as he said. Now that is a lot to take in I understand, but these statements are at the core of Christianity. For any denomination to have any validity at all, these statements must be affirmed in full, not added to or taken away from. A religion can get a lot of things wrong, if they just get this right. The easiest way to figure this out is to examine a denominations “statement of faith”. If this is not spelled out clearly, I bring that denomination into question. Historically, eroding the character of Jesus is the first thing any false faith will do. Many claim He was not born of a virgin, others that he did not raise from the grave in bodily form. Still others will say that he was just a prophet, not the son, the list goes on. Any faith system that gets this doctrine wrong, i.e. Jehovah witness, Mormon, word of faith, And where we may share so many biblical principals and practices with such folks, the fact is that without the right Jesus, the rest is without hope.

Next is the question of heaven. Generally speaking Christianity states that the sins of people are paid for by the sacrifice of Christ. It is only through Christ’s atoning sacrifice that our sins can be forgiven and the road to heaven is open to us. This crucial doctrine is yet another non-negotiable subject for us. The bible is abundantly clear on this topic. To add any kind of works requirement, ritual practice or additional options for heaven, is to run parelesley close to negating salvation itself. Many Baptist churches will only allow salvation for those who have received baptism, Catholics require many steps of faith as well as regular confession to priests in addition to Christ. Mormons and Jehovah witness require an endless stream of good works with no ultimate guarantee of salvation in the end. Still more churches will allow accommodation for other paths to heaven in an effort to be more “culturally open” or “accommodating” to others. After all we don’t want to scare anyone away by saying that Jesus is the only way. Many of these things, however, fall into the category of wasting time and energy. I have no doubt that there are millions of Catholics who are heaven bound, while there are many who missed the message of Jesus in the fog of ritual. There may also be Jehovah witness or Mormon folks headed to heaven as well, but far less likely if their doctrine is examined even lightly. The point is that the doctrine of Jesus atoning sacrifice is required for one to enter heaven, things can be added to this while it still remains intact, but that is always a distraction, waste of time and can even install layers of ritual that will deter someone from faith all together, (as in my case)

So this may go without saying, but we have already agreed on the authenticity of scripture, and its reliability for both historical and spiritual principals. But there is an endless amount of study and reflection that can be gleaned from scripture, but for any word in the book to be meaningful in any way, the entire thing must be given the same weight. From the words of Jesus, to the simplest detail in the creation story, it all must remain intact, or the entire thing falls flat. It is unfortunately common in Christian circles for believers and pastors alike, to take it upon themselves to determine which portions of scripture are the truth of God, and which ones can be edited out. This is usually for personal preferences or vices, or in response to some compelling logical or scientific argument, in an attempt to accommodate ones own doubt. It of course is my opinion, that any church or denomination, which makes accommodation for bible editing, is treading, down a dangerous road. When fallible and imperfect people put themselves in a position to edit truth, trouble will follow. Again, a cursory examination of a denominations statement of faith, and a simple questioning on scriptural authenticity will make this point very clear. But as before, someone can be wrong one great deal of subjects scripturally, and get the main points right. In fact I would argue that we are always growing in our understanding of scripture, and should look to recognize when we may be doing some editing on any minor level, but more relevant here, watch for denominations editing scripture at will.

Now a tell tale sign of false Christianity is the addition of books to the bible. The Mormon Church will study both the bible and the book of Mormon. The Jehovah witness has many holly writing they lean on. Some Christian denominations will even have extra books in the midst of their bible. And while some of these may be useful for teaching and provide insight into some things, others are outright heretical, and will surely lead someone away from any genuine faith in Christ. Any addition to scripture should be viewed with great skepticism, and is almost always a staple of false Christianity. As before, it is not exclusionary, but can provide stumbling blocks, or blocks altogether to real faith and practice.

So its time for the gut check. We live in a world where everyone is trying to rip us off or get something by us. Most of us who care about truth have developed a fairly strong ability to spot a fake from a mile out. I always advise people, as far as it concerns things of faith; if is seems like bologna, it probably is. Anyone who has taken an honest read of the Bible has seen into the very mind of God. We are given endless principal for living life, dealing with others, serving others and growing in our faith. My advice for anyone is to pursue this in your life. Seek God in everything, serve him where you are lead, and don’t compromise the truth you know for anything. As I have grown in my faith and encountered many other people from all kinds of Christian denomination, I can honestly say that what I have encountered in the Evangelical Free Church and even mores at Resonate Church is far closer to the true church described in scripture than any other I have yet seen. We are in a community of believers that hold scripture in the highest place, the character of Jesus uncompromised and the pursuit of His will in service and faith. This does not mean that we can’t debate in the gray areas that are not settled 100% scripturally, but the goal is not self-elevation, simply healthy exploration of truth.

But as with any of these things, it is up to you to make your own mind up. Present your doubts, test your beliefs and come to your own position on any of these subjects. Don’t take anyone’s word for it, because we are all fallible, take God’s word for it, and test the rest.